


bubble: pop

by sheptem



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), Super Hero Squad Show
Genre: Awesome Tony Stark, Established Relationship, Insecure Steve Rogers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheptem/pseuds/sheptem
Summary: “Plus, Captain America is a historical figure. Doesn’t that give them the right to use it however they want?"Steve crossed his arms and looked away with a frown.“We still can sue,” Tony said after a pause.Steve learns of the existence of The Super Hero Squad.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 85





	bubble: pop

**Author's Note:**

> not beta read

If it hadn't been for Clint and Sam, who spent a good few minutes arguing about which one of them had the better costume, Steve probably never would have known the cartoon existed. When they explained to him what the cartoon was about — super-heroes (both real _and_ made-up ones) fighting villains like Doom and MODOK — Steve was intrigued. After watching the first few episodes, however, he had mixed feelings.

“Did you know about this?” He asked Tony when he sat down on the couch next to him sometime throughout the next episode.

“JARVIS has an alert set for any mention of Iron Man, so yes, I did. What?” He asked when three heads turned towards him, eyebrows raised. He scowled. “I do run a company. Any negative press is bad for the stock.”

“Okay, point,” Clint said and popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth.

“So Cap, what do you think?” Sam asked.

Steve must have failed at keeping his expression neutral because Clint’s face was full of glee.

“He doesn’t like it.”

“They didn’t even ask any of us if we want to be on the show,” he said pointedly.

Sam patted his arm reassuringly. “You wanna sue them?”

Clint made a face, “Sue for what?”

“Using his image without obtaining consent maybe?” Sam pointed out.

“They’re not using my actual name, though.”

“Plus, Captain America is a historical figure. Doesn’t that give them the right to use it however they want?”

Steve crossed his arms and looked away with a frown.

“We still can sue,” Tony said after a pause.

“Why didn’t you?”

“Are you kidding me, birdbrain? It’s good PR. That's something we're always in need of with both Thor and Hulk on the team.” Steve wanted to argue, but they did almost destroy his favorite coffee shop last week. Nobody got seriously hurt but the owner banned their whole team from coming back, despite them paying for the damage. ”Besides, have you heard the theme song?”

Clint snorted, “ _Doctor Doom ends up in tears when Iron Man joins the fight?_ How much did you pay them?”

“Not a cent,” Tony grinned. “But you must admit it’s catchy.” The grin slipped from his face, and he shrugged. “It’s just a silly show for kids. But if you guys want to—

“No,” Steve interrupted before Tony got one of his brilliant ideas, and called up the people in charge of the show to demand the cancellation of it. The cartoon _was_ cute, even if it was full of inaccuracies. “You’re right, it’s harmless.”

He’s not going to be the one to make a problem out of it, not if everyone else was okay with it playing on the TV.

“Yeah, I’m not buying that,” Clint drawled. Sometimes Steve forgot how perceptive he was. “What’s with the face?”

 _Am I that boring?_ Steve wanted to ask them.

There had to be a reason as to why Captain America was not a part of the main cast. Admittedly, Clint and Natasha weren't either, but in their case, that was a good thing. They were spies, the less attention centered on them the better. But why wasn't Captain America standing next to Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk? Why did he talk like a grandfather in every scene he appeared in? That wasn't how he acted. Surely he'd managed to acclimate by now.

Was that how everyone saw him?

Did Tony also…

He refrained from voicing his thoughts out loud and rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

“Hero up, _Squaddies_?” He shook his head dramatically for the effect. “How come Avengers are trademarked but Iron Man isn’t?” he asked, redirecting the conversation.

If the look Tony gave him was any indication, he noticed the evasion, but he played along and answered the question at length. Steve relaxed, glad that the focus shifted away from him.

* * *

“It’s a parody,” Tony told him later when they were alone in the workshop, Tony engrossed in one of his newest inventions, Steve _not_ sulking right next to him.

Steve stared at him, unimpressed.

“I know what a parody is, Tony.”

That fact didn’t make him feel any better about the whole thing.

“Well, good,” Tony said distractedly, hands dancing on the keyboard. From time to time, he let out a strain of curses under his breath. The sight _almost_ made Steve crack a smile. He was so in love with that man, it was ridiculous. “They made my eyes blue,” Tony said, glancing up at him and Steve blinked, because _yeah_ , the cartoon version of Iron Man had eyes in a piercing shade of blue instead of Tony's delicate brown.

“Why?”

Tony shrugged, “Who cares? Point is, it’s all inaccurate.”

The little voice in Steve’s head that nagged at him for the last few hours quieted down.

“It is?”

"Well, _yeah_. If they ever manage to show everything as it really is we'll have a different sort of problem, won't we?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Steve snorted and inched closer, attempting to kiss the stupid grin off of Tony’s face, but at the last moment decided against it. He put his hand on his own chin in mock-contemplation.

“Does that mean you don't fancy Natasha?”

Tony’s laughter echoing through the workshop was all the answer Steve needed.

**Author's Note:**

> every time i stumble upon any kind of avengers media i end up thinking about aa!steve


End file.
